Wiring unit

ABSTRACT

A wiring unit  1  is housed in a case of an electric connecting box. The wiring unit includes a plurality of flat circuit bodies each composed of an insulating plate  21  and a plurality of bus bars  22  extended in parallel, and a short-circuiting member  23  composed of a pair of pin segments  24  and a coupling segment  25  for coupling them. The short-circuiting member  23  is formed in a -shape. The pin segments  24  are stuck into the bus bars so that the bus bars  22  are electrically connected to each other. In this configuration, the wiring unit can be manufactured at low cost and can be downsized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a wiring unit housed in an electric connectingbox mounted in a motor vehicle that is a moving body.

2. Description of the Related Art

The motor vehicle is generally provided with a variety of electronicappliances inclusive of lamps such as a head lamp, tail lamp, etc.motors such as a starter motor, a motor for an air conditioner, etc.

In order to supply power to the variety of electronic appliances,junction blocks are located at suitable position within the motorvehicle. The junction block is configured so that printed boards andwiring boards with elements such as bus bars are stacked and variouselectric circuit units such as a large number of fuses, relays, etc. areintegrated on these wiring boards.

The junction block may include a fuse, relay, bus bar, etc. so that itis called a fuse block, relay box, or generally an electric connectingbox. In this specification, the above fuse block, relay box, junctionblock, etc, are referred to as the electric connecting box.

The electric connecting box includes a case and a wiring plate, etc. Thecase can be provided with electric components such as a relay, fuse,connector. A plurality of electric wires connected to the variouselectric appliances are led into the case. The wiring plate, when it ishoused in the case, electrically connects the electric wires connectedto the various electric appliances to terminals of the various electriccomponents in a prescribed pattern.

As the above wiring plate, in order to facilitate the connection of therespective electric wires to the terminals of the electric components, awiring unit 54 as shown in FIG. 6 has been proposed. The wiring unit asshown in FIG. 6 includes a plurality of boards 61 which are stackedsuccessively, a plurality of terminals 62 and a plurality of connectingbars 63. The boards 61 each is made of an insulating material. Theboards 61 each is formed as a square flat plate. The boards 61 eachincludes a plurality of grooves 64, a plurality of concave portions 65and a plurality of holes 66.

The grooves 64 each is formed in concave from the surface of the board61. The grooves 64 each extends in a longitudinal direction of the board61. The respective grooves 64 are formed in parallel to one another.

The concave portions 65 each is formed in concave from the surface ofthe board 61. The concave portions 65 each is opened into the groove 64.The concave portions 65 are provided in parallel to one another in thelongitudinal direction of the corresponding groove 64. The concaveportions 65 each is formed in a square shape when viewed from above.

The holes 66 each passes through the portion located at the bottom ofthe corresponding concave portion 65. The holes 66 are located at thecorresponding positions when the boards are stacked successively.

The terminals 62 each is made from a metallic sheet. The terminal 62 iscomposed of an electric contact portion 67 and an electric-wireconnecting portion 68. The electric contact portion 67 is adapted toreceive in the above connecting bar 63. When the connecting bar 63 isreceived in the electric contact portion 67, it produces elasticrestitutive force that impedes the insertion of the connecting bar 63 sothat the relative position of the connecting bar 63 to the electriccontact portion 67 is maintained.

The electric-wire connecting portion 68 permits an electric wire to bearranged unidirectionally. The electric-wire connecting portion 68includes a crimping segment 70 on which the electric wire 69 can becrimped and a pair of electric-wire holding segments 71 which arelocated at the positions where the electric wire 69 is sandwiched in thedirection of arranging the electric wire 69.

The crimping segment 70 is provided with two pairs of press-fittingblades 72, which cut the coating of the electric wire 69 to come incontact with the core thereof. The electric wire holding portions 71each is provided with a pair of caulking pieces 73 between which theelectric wire 69 with the coating is caulked. The caulking pieces 73sandwiches the electric wire 69 therebetween so that the contact stateof the press-fitting blades 72 of the crimping portion 70 and the coreis maintained.

The electric contact portion 67 and the electric-wire connecting portion68 are arranged at the positions where the electric wire 69 is notimpeded. Specifically, in the direction of arranging the electric wire69, the electric connecting portion 67 is arranged to intersect theelectric-wire connecting portions 68.

The terminal 62 connects the electric wire 69 crimped on the crimpingportion 70 or electric-wire connecting portion 68 and the connecting bar63 inserted into the electric contact portion 67 to each other. Theterminal 62 is attached to the board 61 in a state where the electriccontact portion 67 is housed in the concave portion 65 and the electricconnecting portion 68 is housed in the groove 64.

The connecting bar 63 is made of a conductive material. The connectingbar 63 is formed in a band shape. The connecting bar 63, when insertedinto the hole 66 and the electric connecting portion 67 of the terminal62, is electrically connected to the electric wire 69.

In the wiring unit having the configuration described above, theelectric wires 69 connected to various electric appliances are arrangedin the grooves 64. By stacking a plurality of boards 61 and optionallyselecting the concave portions 65 and holes 66, the electric wires 69are electrically connected to the relay, fuse, connector, etc. mountedin the above case according to a prescribed pattern.

In the wiring unit 54 shown in FIG. 6, since the grooves 64 and concaveportions 65 are formed in the insulating plate 61, relativelycomplicated inequalities must be formed in the surface of the insulatingplate 61. This requires the complicate shape of the mold which is usedto shape the insulating plate 61, thus increasing the production cost.

In the wiring unit 54, in assembling, after the terminals 62 have beenattached for each insulating plate 61, the electric wires 69 must becrimped. This may increase the number of man-hours for assembling andhence steep rise in the production cost.

The circuit configuration of the wiring unit 54 is composed of theelectric wires 69 and terminals 62 arranged along each groove 64 and therespective connecting bars 63 inserted in the electric contact portions67. In this way, the circuit configuration is composed of the electricwires and terminals 62 which are superposed on one another in adirection of stacking the insulating plates 61. This increases thelimitation to circuit design and upsizes the wiring unit 54.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a wiring unit whichcan be manufactured at low cost and downsized.

In order to attain the above object, in accordance with this invention,there is provided a wiring unit comprising:

a plurality of flat circuit bodies each composed of an insulating plateand a plurality of conductors arranged thereon in parallel in adirection thereof, the circuit bodies being stacked successivelyvertically; and

a short-circuiting member composed of a plurality of pin segments and acoupling segment for electrically coupling the plurality of pin segmentswith each other, the short-circuiting member being made of a conductivematerial and covered with an insulating film on its surface, wherein

the pin segments with the insulating film partially removed are stuckinto the flat circuit bodies so that the conductors are electricallyconnected to each other.

In this configuration, by selecting the conductors into which the pinsegments of the short-circuiting member are stuck, the desiredconductors can be electrically connected to each other surely inaccordance with a prescribed pattern. In this way, the simpleconfiguration of sticking the pin segments of the short-circuitingmember can assure a desired electric connection. This reduces the numberof man-hours for production of the components and for assembling,thereby suppressing a rise in production cost.

Further, the short-circuiting member has a plurality of pin segments sothat the conductors arranged in parallel can be electrically connectedto each other surely. This suppresses the limitation to the circuitdesign of the wiring unit and miniaturizes it.

In a preferred embodiment, the short-circuiting member is formed in a-shape with a pair of pin segments, and the interval between the pinsegments is smaller than that between inner edges of the conductorsadjacent to each other and larger than that between outer edges of theconductors adjacent to each other. Because of this arrangement, theconductors adjacent to each other can be electrically connected to eachother surely by the short-circuiting member in accordance with theprescribed pattern.

In a further preferred embodiment, at least one of the conductors of atleast one of the flat circuit bodies protrudes from its end to form amale tab which can be connected to an electric wire electricallyconnected to anexternal appliance. Because of such a configuration, anelectric connection can be surely made between the conductors connectedto each other and the external appliance in accordance with a desiredpattern.

The above and other objects and features of this invention will be moreapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wiring unit according to an embodimentof this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a short-circuiting member of the wiring unitaccording to the embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken in line III—III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector receiving portion in theembodiment of this invention;

FIG. 5 is, a perspective view of a modification of a connecting state ofa bus bar and an electric wire;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional wiring unit;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a terminal of the wiring unit shown inFIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an explanation will be given of a wiring unitaccording to an embodiment of this invention.

As seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, in accordance with a prescribed pattern, thewiring unit 1 electrically connects a plurality of electric wires 16(FIGS. 1, 4), which are housed within the electric connecting boxattached to the moving body such as a motor vehicle and connected tovarious electric appliances and power sources arranged in the motorvehicle, to electric components such as a relay, fuse and connector inthe electric connecting box.

As seen from FIGS. 1 and 4, the wiring unit 1 includes a plurality ofplates 21 which are successively stacked, a plurality of bus bars 22 anda plurality of short-circuiting members 23. The plates 21 each is madeof e.g. insulating synthetic resin (hereinafter, these plates arereferred to as insulating plates). The insulating plates 21 each isformed as a square flat insulating plate. The insulating plates 21 eachincludes a plurality of bus bar positioning grooves 26 which areconcayed from the surface of itself.

The bus bar positioning grooves 26 are formed in a longitudinaldirection of the insulating plate 21, and arranged in parallel atregular intervals in a width direction of the insulating plate 21. Inthe example shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, four bus bar positioning grooves 26are formed in the surface of the insulating plate 21.

The bus bars 22 each is made of an electrically conductive material suchas metal. The bus bars 22 each is formed in a belt shape extended in adirection. The bus bars 22, which are fit in the bus bar positioninggrooves 26, respectively, are placed on the insulating plate 21. Theinsulating plate 21 and bus bar 22 constitute a flat circuit bodydefined in claims. The bus bar 22 is referred to as a conductor inclaims.

The plurality of short-circuiting members 23 each is made of aconductive material such as metal. As seen from FIG. 2, theshort-circuiting member 23 is formed in a -shape integrally composed ofa pair of pin segments 24 and a coupling section which couples the endsof the pin segments. The short-circuiting member 23 is coated with aninsulating film over the pin segments 24 and coupling segment 23. Thisinsulating film can be peeled from the body of the short-circuitingmember 23.

The interval D (FIG. 2) between the pin segments 24 of theshort-circuiting member 23 is set for a distance that is longer than theinterval T1 (FIG. 3) between the adjacent internal edges of the adjacentones of the bus bars 22 arranged successively in parallel. The intervalD is also set for a distance that is shorter than the outer edges of theadjacent bus bars 22.

At least one of a plurality of flat circuit bodies 20 which aresuccessively stacked has a connector receiving portion 36. In theexample, all the insulating plates 21 each has the connector receivingportion 36, respectively.

The connector receiving portion 36 has a plurality of male tabs 37 eachof which protrudes outwardly from the end 21 a of the insulating plate21. The end 21a is defined as the end of the flat circuit body 20defined in claims. Four male tabs 37 are illustrated. These male tabs 37are electrically connected to terminals 15 of the connector unit 5,respectively. In FIG. 1, only the connector unit 5 connected to theconnector receiving portion 36 at the lower most position is shown.

As seen from FIG. 4, the connector unit 5 includes a housing 40 and aplurality of terminals 15. The housing 40 is made of an insulatingmaterial such as synthetic resin. The terminals 15 are electricallyconnected to the male tabs 37, respectively.

The terminals 15 are housed within the housing 40, and communicated withelectric wires 16. These electric wires 16 are electrically connected tovarious external electric appliances such as lamps, motors and thebatteries. The electric wires 16 are tied up in a bundle.

The connector unit 5 is connected to the connector receiving portion 36in such a fashion that the terminals 15 are connected to the male tabs37. The connector unit 5 as well as the insulating plate 21 is housedwithin the case such as the electric connecting box while it isconnecter-coupled with the connector receiving portion 22.

In the wiring unit 1 described above, a plurality of layers of theinsulating plates 21 on each of which the plurality of bus bars arearranged are successively stacked, and the pin segments 24 are stuckinto prescribed bus bars 22 which must be electrically connected to eachother. Incidentally, the insulating film is removed from the locationsR1 and R2 of the pin segments 24 in FIG. 2 which are to be brought intocontact with the bus bars 22 which must be electrically connected toeach other.

In the embodiment of this invention, the bus bars 22 which are arrangedon the different insulating plates 21 and in parallel are electricallyconnected to each other. In the embodiment, the bus bars 22 which arearranged on the different insulating plates 21 and superposed on eachother are electrically insulated from each other. However, in case ofnecessity, the insulating film may be removed so that the bus bars 22superposed on each other are electrically connected to each other.

Further, the connector unit 5 is connecter-coupled with the connectorreceiving portion 36 so that the external appliance such as the electricappliances are electrically connected to the electric componentspreviously described using the bus bars in accordance with a prescribedpattern.

In accordance with this embodiment, by selecting the bus bars 22 intowhich the pin segments 24 of the short-circuit member 23 are stuck, thedesired bus bars 22 can be electrically connected to each other surelyin accordance with a prescribed pattern.

In this way, the simple configuration of sticking the pin segments 24 ofthe short-circuiting member 23 can assure a desired electric connection.This permits the number of man-hours for production of the componentsand for assembling, thereby suppressing rise in cost.

Further, the short-circuiting member 23 has a pair of pin segments 24 sothat the bus bars 22 arranged in parallel can be electrically connectedto each other surely. This suppresses the limitation to the circuitdesign of the wiring unit 1 and miniaturizes it.

By selecting the locations of the pin segments 24 from which theinsulating film should be removed, electric connection or insulation canbe made between the bus bars superposed on each other. This furthersuppresses the limitation to the circuit design.

Since the interval D is set to be larger than the interval T1 andsmaller than the interval T2, the bus bars 22 adjacent to each other canbe electrically connected to each other by the short-circuiting member23 in accordance with the prescribed pattern.

Further, the bus bar 22 protrudes from the end 21 a of at least one flatcircuit body 20 to provide the male tabs 37 and the male tabs 37 can beconnected to the terminals 15 electrically connected to the externalappliances, i.e. the electric wires 16. For this reason, an electricconnection can be surely made between the bus bars 22 connected to eachother and the external appliance in accordance with a desired pattern.

In this embodiment, all the flat circuit bodies 20 each is provided withthe connector receiving portion 36. However, as necessary, the connectorreceiving portion 36 can be provided for any one of the flat circuitbodies 20 which are successively stacked.

In this embodiment, the electric wires 16 electrically connected to theexternal appliance are connected to the male tabs 37 via the terminals15 the connector unit 5. However, as seen from FIG. 5, the electricwires 16 may be connected to the male tabs 37 with the aid of brazing ofsolder 41.

In this embodiment, the flat circuit body 20 is constructed of theinsulating plate 21 and bus bars 22. However, the flat circuit body 20maybe a conventionally known flexible printed circuit (FPC) or flexibleflat cable (FFC) which is composed of a plurality of belt conductors andan insulating layer covering them.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wiring unit comprising: a plurality of flatcircuit bodies each composed of an insulating plate and a plurality ofconductors arranged there on in parallel in a direction thereof, thecircuit bodies being stacked successively vertically; and ashort-circuiting member composed of a plurality of pin segments and acoupling segment for electrically coupling the plurality of pin segmentswith each other, the short-circuiting member being made of a conductivematerial and covered with an insulating film on its surface, wherein thepin segments with the insulating film partially removed are stuck intothe flat circuit bodies so that the conductors are electricallyconnected to each other.
 2. The wiring unit according to claim 1,wherein the short-circuiting member is formed in a -shape with a pair ofpin segments, and the interval between the pin segments is smaller thanthat between inner edges of the conductors adjacent to each other andlarger than that between outer edge of the conductors adjacent to eachother.
 3. The wiring unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe conductors of at least one of the flat circuit bodies protrudes fromits end to form a male tab which can be connected to an electric wireelectrically connected to an external appliance.
 4. The wiring unitaccording to claim 2, wherein at least one of the conductors of at leastone of the flat circuit bodies protrudes from its end to form a male tabwhich can be connected to an electric wire electrically connected to anexternal